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Though her first three books followed a natural progression — marriage, sex, and the first year of motherhood — Expecting takes a step back.

“Pregnancy is such an amazing experience and one of the few times in life you get to be part of a true miracle,” Marla says. “I love looking back through my journals and remembering what it felt like to carry each one of my girls for nine (mostly!) sweet months. I wanted to give expectant moms something special they could read and write in — and keep and cherish forever.”

Marla hopes her book will somehow get into the hands of girls at crisis pregnancy centers. Since many of these young women are contemplating abortion out of fear, the encouragement and prayers throughout the pages of Expecting could give these girls the hope they need … and point them toward Christ.

Though she started out in nursing at Cedarville, Marla soon switched to elementary education. She taught for three years before becoming a mother. But she always wanted to write.

“I loved my classes at Cedarville where writing played a big part in my grade,” she says. “I’m especially grateful for those professors who taught me to ‘cut the fluff’ and write what really mattered.”

As for her faith, Marla says she can’t not integrate it into her writing.

“It’s who I am,” she concludes. “Jesus Christ is my life, and my hugest desire is to bring people to Him through the words I say and write.”

Marla and her husband, Gabe, have three children — Olivia (8), Ava (6), and Nina (3) — and live in Columbus, Ohio. For her next project, the family is hitting 52 zoos in 52 weeks, and of course, Marla’s writing a book about it. Follow the Tavianos’ adventures.